Grants

Viron Erol Vert

Born in the Purple

SAHA supported the production of Viron Erol Vert’s new project for his solo exhibition at Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien held between 24 June–27 August 2017.

“Born in The Purple” is an extensive solo exhibition by Viron Erol Vert that revolves around contemporary issues that have reached the tipping point of global urgency, including cultural supremacy, regional power, birthrights and basic human rights. The space at Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien happens to consist of 12 rooms, as does the artists family home which is located in Osmanbey in Istanbul. The exhibition unfolds throughout a 12 room installation which focuses on different thematic and artistic concerns.

The epicenter of the exhibition is a movable architectural installation titled, “The Porphyra Club”, which hosts an evolving and interdisciplinary programme with active contributions by invited participants. As a central room, it hosts all the public moments of the exhibition: screenings, invited artist talks, discussions by researchers and curators, performances by artists, and lunch and dinner meals by invited cooks. The installation is movable and changeable according to the event in the room. It is inspired by antique greek theatre and stage design.

For further information about the Porphyra Club program please click here.

About Viron Erol Vert

Viron Erol Vert (1975, Germany) lives and currently works between Istanbul and Berlin. Vert studied at the UdK in Berlin and the Department for Visual Art at the Royal Academy in Antwerp. He graduated with mentionable honor from his master class in Fashion design at the HTW, Berlin and at the Department for Experimental Surface at the KHB in Berlin. From 2004 onwards Vert has participated in local and international exhibitions, including: “Enough Room for Space“, Gent; “Centro Cultural Montehermoso,Vitoria-Gasteiz”, Spain; “Gallery Opendahl”, Berlin; “Colette“, Paris; “Die ungarische Methode”, Ascherleben; “Galerie Reinhard Hauff”, Stuttgart; “Fellethuset”, Berlin; “Berghain“, Berlin and “Galerist“, Istanbul. He is strongly influenced by his multicultural background that arches between Orient and Occident. This cultural matrix is one of the reasons that leads him to question identity and affinity which are the central subjects in his artistic work.

About the Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien

Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien is an exhibition space for contemporary art with a focus on current social and cultural issues. Central to the projects here are the meaningful contextualisation of themes and consideration for diversity, internationality, and local relevance. Around six exhibition projects take place in a year, some of which are realised as a collaborative effort with other institutions, curators or artist groups. Additional programs such as tours, films, discussions, and artist talks function as reinforcement to the exhibitions. Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien is an organisation of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg District Council. Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien owns a collection of round 450 artworks, which includes art from Hans Baluschek, Erich Büttner and other artist, who lived in Kreuzberg like Hanefi Yeter, Akbar Behkalam, Luise Grimm or Christa Eichler.